Bloober Team, the studio behind the Silent Hill 2 remake, wants to discover the next generation of horror game creators by supporting developers with original ideas and strong creative visions. Tymon Smektala, the former Dying Light franchise director who recently joined Bloober Team’s publishing division, hopes to find a creator with the potential to become “the next Kojima.”
Smektala shared this ambition in an interview with GamesRadar+, alongside Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno. In his new role as executive director of Broken Mirror Games, Smektala will help shape the division’s creative direction, oversee its portfolio, and work with external developers on new horror projects.
Rather than focusing exclusively on established studios, the initiative aims to identify smaller projects with ideas that could stand out in the crowded horror genre.
BROKEN MIRROR GAMES WANTS TO HELP EMERGING HORROR DEVELOPERS
Smektala explained that he wants to discover creators whose projects demonstrate a distinctive vision, even if they begin on a relatively small scale. With support from Broken Mirror Games, these developers could gain access to resources and expertise that help them expand their ideas into more ambitious productions.
“I can easily imagine that we will find a creator”
capable of growing with the studio’s assistance, Smektala told GamesRadar+. He believes Bloober Team’s experience in horror development could help emerging talent reach a wider audience without losing what makes their projects unique.
Smektala spent more than 13 years at Techland, including several years as franchise director for Dying Light. His experience working on the zombie survival series now informs his efforts to identify fresh approaches to horror gaming.
The publishing division is already involved with upcoming projects such as SAW: Genesis and Onyx: The Dark Grip, demonstrating its interest in horror experiences that explore different gameplay concepts.
BLOOBER TEAM WANTS HORROR GAMES WITH ORIGINAL IDEAS AND DEEPER THEMES
The search is not limited to games that rely on familiar horror conventions. Smektala told GamesRadar+ that the division wants to find projects that offer something new to the genre, pointing to horror films such as Weapons and The Backrooms as examples of distinctive creative approaches.
Babieno also emphasized that effective horror can reflect real-world anxieties rather than serving purely as entertainment. He believes creators can approach fear from different perspectives, allowing games to explore ideas that resonate with contemporary audiences.
The strategy gives Broken Mirror Games an opportunity to support unusual concepts while drawing on Bloober Team’s established horror expertise. Whether it discovers a creator comparable to Hideo Kojima remains to be seen, but Smektala’s goal is clear: find original voices capable of pushing horror games in new directions.
